The Great Resignation: stopping the 'bleed'

As hospitality businesses open up ‘post-pandemic’, the unavailability of qualified staff has become one of the biggest obstacles to businesses’ ability to take maximum advantage of the pent-up desire and need for travel. A study published by McKinsey in September 2021 under the headline “Great attrition or great attraction? The choice is yours”1 verbalised and quantified for the first time something that the hospitality industry around the globe is experiencing as businesses start their return to the ‘next normal’. The article explained in detail a mindset that has become commonplace both for employers and employees, and that will be troubling the industry for a while if not properly addressed. When Covid first brought the world to a standstill, the hospitality industry was one of the first and worst hit. Business came to a halt; many hotels and restaurants closed or decreased staffing levels as much as possible in order to cut expenses. In the developed world, this was done with the help of government programmes so that employees could access some kind of safety net. In developing countries, these safety nets often did not/do not exist. Many employers were ruthless, simply telling staff that they were no longer needed. ‘Thanks’ to many governments calling Covid-19 a “force majeure”, employers got around paying legally required compensation for terminating employees at short notice. Many of our colleagues, expatriate and local, found themselves literally ‘on the street’ within weeks of the pandemic ravaging the industry. Employers’ social responsibility to the communities in which they do business was one of the first victims of the pandemic. The understanding that “our staff is our most valuable asset” turned into pure semantics. Today, as these businesses celebrate that they are opening again, there is a surprising level of surprise among the most callous of employers that now they can’t find staff. The industry will have to come up with new ways of working if they want to attract colleagues back – the loss of trust and goodwill will have serious repercussions. To ‘make good’ on their actions, employers need to first understand how much they broke – initial observations show that they have not even started to understand what they did. What about people still employed? Shouldn’t they be lucky to still have a job? In the McKinsey study, 40% of participants who were still employed answered that they were at least somewhat likely to leave their job in the next 3–6 months; 64% of these claimed that they are planning to leave without a new job lined up. At the core of this is, I believe (and the study suggests), is a general disconnect between what employees are looking for and what employers think that employees are looking for. The pandemic has sent many of us into a survival mode, forcing actions that were purely transactional. Yet the hospitality industry, at its core, depends on people who care for others. Employers need to ask employees questions that show they care and rebuild the trust that has been lost due to their actions when the pandemic hit. As a member of a Vietnamese investment group that did exactly the opposite, that held on to employees at substantial cost to the enterprise and with employees at all levels ‘chipping in’ through unpaid leave to help keep everyone employed, I know first-hand that this has built a substantial amount of trust and our levels of attrition are substantially below the market average as other businesses reopen. Asking the right questions, listening to the answers and consistently responding with empathy and tangible action, not words, will be key to our success. Corresponding author Oliver Horn can be contacted at: [email protected] Note McKinsey & Company, September 8, 2021, study conducted with 4,294 participants in the US, UK, Australia, Singapore and Canada. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours

Rules and regulations for a pregnant endourologist: the European perspective

Introduction Working in surgery while pregnant is challenging. Navigating this period safely is of paramount importance. Anecdotal observation suggests that there exists great variation among European nations in regard to maternity leave and radiation safety. The aim of this article was to gain insight into policy patterns and variations across Europe regarding these issues. Methods A series of core question items was distributed to representatives across 12 nations Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom). Results The total number of weeks with full pay ranged from as little as 4 weeks in Belgium to 32 and Iceland. All countries included in this study give the option of additional weeks beyond the initial period, however at reduced pay. Some offer unpaid leave beyond this. Only 5/12 countries had a specific policy on when the pregnant surgeon should come off the on-call rota. Only Austria, Italy and Poland stipulate a requirement for the pregnant clinician to be replaced or be completely exempt in cases involving radiation. Only Germany, Iceland, Norway and Poland highlight the need to limit radiation dose in the first trimester. Beyond this, Germany alone provides written guidance for reduction in gown weight and along with Poland, display arguably the most forward-thinking approach to resting. Conclusion There is a marked range in maternal leave policies across Europe. There also exists a lack of universal guidance on radiation safety for the pregnant urologist. There is urgent need for this void to be addressed.

Hospitality Industry Employees’ Intention to Stay in Their Job after the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on the tourism and hospitality industries in Taiwan, causing some small companies to cease trading and large companies to place their employees on unpaid leave. Placing employees on unpaid leave may have negatively affected the intention of hospitality employees to remain in their jobs. This study examined whether employees’ job insecurity and organizational identification affected their intention to stay in their job during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously developed scales were adopted to develop items measuring job insecurity, organizational identification, and intention to stay in a job. Responses to 515 returned questionnaires were examined. The results revealed that job insecurity significantly affects organizational identification. Both job insecurity and organizational identification significantly affected intention to stay. Few studies have used path analyses to investigate the relationships among intention to stay, job insecurity, and organizational identification. The indirect effect of organizational identification was analyzed, and evidence supporting a total effect and total indirect effect was obtained. This implies that hospitality companies seeking to retain staff during crises should promote organizational identification among staff.

State-Level Policy Actions to Support Family Caregivers

The stresses created by the growing need for family caregivers have failed to prompt federal policy action; in its absence, states are stepping up. This review of state policies that support employment among family caregivers found six main categories of legislative action: paid leave; expanding federally mandated unpaid leave; paid sick time; unemployment insurance for job loss attributable to caregiving duties; establishing family caregivers as a protected classification in employment discrimination; and flexible or alternative work schedules. Despite the demand for policies that support and empower working caregivers, a minority of states have passed such legislation; to date, 9 states have implemented paid family leave; 14 have implemented mandatory sick leave legislation; and 14 have expanded FMLA. This study discusses state-level policy actions, reviews the status and importance of these policies, and finds that despite gaps in caregiver support legislation at the state level, there is significant and promising momentum.

Reconstruction the Major’s Policy in Order to Economic and Poverty Recovery in Pandemic at Pasuruan City East Java, Indonesia

The Covid-19 pandemic not only has an impact on the health aspect of the community, but also has an impact on the declining level of the economy and community welfare. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Pasuruan City, since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, poverty in Pasuruan City has increased by 0.20 percentage points. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy of the community in Pasuruan City, as well as solutions or policies that can be implemented by the Pasuruan City Government. The method used in this research is normative legal research using the approach of applying the law, conceptual, and case. The results of the study show that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on various sectors, one of which is the economy of the people of Pasuruan City. So that the situation and conditions need responsive efforts from the Regional Government of Pasuruan City in where the steps from the demand side themselves, could be in the form of (1) tax incentives, loan interest subsidies, and credit restructuring to the firms (including micro, small, and medium enterprises) to jumpstart their activities; (2) employment and income provision for the furloughed (unpaid leave) workers to make sure that the workers have a decent livelihood and to prevent them from falling into poverty; and (3) inclusive protection for the workers, both in terms of social protection and employment agreement. As for the supply side, efforts can be made by (1) increasing access to secondary and tertiary education; (2) enhance the quality of education; and (3) provide training and education for workers and everyone over the lifecycle. So that through this idea it is hoped that it can be a solution for the economic recovery of the community in Pasuruan City due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

JOB SECURITY CRISIS AT THE HOTEL INDUSTRY TOWARDS INTENTION TO QUIT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia last year has caused the tourism industry to be squeezed with various challenges. Based on current statistics for 2019 which recorded an increase in foreign tourist arrival of 2.7 percent, with an increase of 6.8 percent over the previous year. However, the national tourism sector experienced a severe decline in the percentage of foreign tourist arrivals due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The COVID-19 crisis is a new crisis that has hit the hotel industry around the world, including Malaysia. The gloom of the tourism industry also effects the number of visitors and tourists staying at the hotel. This is because Malaysia is one of the tourisms led countries where the hotel industry is a major contributor to the overall GDP of the country’s economy. This has resulted in many hotels in Malaysia being forced to close temporarily or wind up. For the record, a total of 109 hotels had to close in 2020. Based on data from the Malaysian Hotel Association in 2020, a total of 542 people equivalent to 3 percent of workers were laid off, while 20 percent (3,641) were asked to take unpaid leave and a total of (2,880), 16 percent had faced pay cuts. On the part of the hotel management, salary cuts, termination of rewards and layoffs are some of the drastic actions that have to be taken to ensure business continuity. However, this approach is seen as unfair for hotel workers. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relationship of job security towards intention to quit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data of the study involved respondents from the state of Kedah. The population for this study was 1,230 employees working in 40 hotels in Kedah. The target of the population, 291 employees were identified through cluster sampling. In addition, the data of this study was collected using a distributed questionnaire while for the data analysis process using Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS). The results from the analysis found that job security had not a significant relationship with the intention to quit.

The Use of Data in the Making and Monitoring of Parental Leave in Australia

This paper considers the availability and use of data in parental leave policy making and monitoring in Australia. The terminology of parental leave is discussed and its use in Australia is explained as referring to paid and unpaid leave for mothers, fathers and partners at the time of birth or adoption of a child and usually covering the first 12–24 months after the birth or adoption. It includes entitlements in labour law legislation, the federal government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme and separate employer provisions. The paper outlines the range of data sources and how they were used to construct a case in favour of the introduction of the Paid Parental Leave scheme in 2010 and to monitor its implementation, as well provision of paid parental leave through enterprise bargaining and company policies. The paper also explains how data was used in a deliberately constructed way to defend the Paid Parental Leave scheme when it was under threat of significant change. In conclusion the paper draws attention to the way terminology is shifting, to how data illuminates the gendered use of parental leave in Australia and argues for the need for refreshed data on parental leave availability, access and use in Australia.

Islamic Financial Planning: Towards Sustaining the Financial Wellbeing of Muslim Families in Malaysia Post Covid-19

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was reported that over 60% of the people in Malaysia only have enough savings to last them for less than 6 months in the event of loss of income. It is also reported that only 10.8% of urban Malaysian households have enough savings to withstand ‘financial shocks’ resulting from events such as job loss, economic crisis, physical impairment and death. The current Covid-19 pandemic had proven in stronger term that financial preparation is crucial for unpredictable situations such us the financial problems arising from the economic slowdown caused by movement control orders and lockdowns. Many households; especially those whose breadwinners were being laid-off by their companies, or had their salaries cut-off and asked to take unpaid leave – are in difficult financial situation. Only those with minimal debt obligations, steady income stream and enough financial buffer to pay for expenditures for the coming months are not in urgent need of any government assistance. Hence, it is high time to inculcate the knowledge of Islamic financial planning among Muslim families to ensure their wellbeing.

Aspek Keadilan dalam Perjanjian Kerja Outsourcing di Tengah Pandemik Covid-19

Many businessmen stated that it was difficult to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic situation which resulted in them having made layoffs, even providing unpaid leave or being sent home. This was done solely so that the company could survive the Covid-19 pandemic. Related to the Covid-19 pandemic problem which resulted in workers being laid off and sent home, it is deemed that it does not fulfill a sense of justice for the workforce. This is because the layoffs given to workers are felt to be very sudden, especially since workers do not make mistakes that could harm the company. Therefore, the aim of this research is to study and analyze aspects of fairness in outsourcing work agreements in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The method used in this study is a normative juridical method using primary and secondary legal materials through a statute approach and a conceptual approach. The existing legal materials are then analyzed qualitatively in order to answer the existing problems. The results show that if the principles of justice put forward by the principles governing the state of workers who are laid off and sent home during the Covid-19 pandemic, then they should be treated fairly, so as to fulfill a sense of justice for the workforce. The respect given by the company to the workforce by giving what is rightfully the workforce can proportionally make the workforce accept the company's decisions gracefully, even though this is not in accordance with the work agreement that has been previously agreed. This can be applied and implemented that the Covid-19 pandemic is an overmacht, which cannot be avoided by anyone.